Emc IP Holding Company LLC

Dell Products Inc.

Marcelo Vinante

Anurag Sharma

Senthil Ponnuswamy

Elie Antoun Jreij

Anjali Anjali

Rekha Sampath

Sudhir Vittal Shetty

Jacob Cherian

Ligong Wang

Shane Michael Chiasson

Pushkala Iyer

Douglas Huang

Igal Moshkovich

Bobby Rogers

An intelligent method of mutual validation between a cluster manager and a new node, also enabling automatic signing of an application certificate for the new node. A root certificate authority is embedded in a cluster manager at the factory. The certificate includes the cluster manager serial number. Similarly, a certificate is embedded in an appliance to be joined as a new node, the certificate including the appliance's serial number. When requesting to join the cluster, the node sends its certificate to the cluster manager. The cluster manager verifies that the serial number in the certificate matches a serial number in its white list and validates the certificate ownership by the node. Conversely, the cluster manager sends its certificate to the node, so that the node can verify its communicating with a valid cluster manager. The node can then ask the manager to sign its application certificate, and the manager uses its root certificate authority to sign the certificate.

Method to establish an application level SSL certificate hierarchy between master node and capacity nodes based on hardware level certificate hierarchy

Described is a system for maintaining dual-party authentication requirements for data retention compliance in a distributed storage environment that includes servers or nodes with remote access components. When administering a data retention policy, an operating system component may require a dual-party authentication mechanism to prevent data deletion, while a different authentication mechanism may control access to the remote access components. Access to the remote access component by a single privileged user, however, may enable overriding or compromising the retention lock compliance implemented by the operating system. Accordingly, the system may tie the dual-party authentication requirement to the authentication mechanism of the remote access components.

Maintaining dual-party authentication requirements for data retention compliance within a distributed server environment

A subset of data encryption keys are stored in plain text form in system memory of an information handling system. A master key and another subset of the data encryption keys are stored in a credential vault of the information handling system. The credential vault forms part of an out-of-band management platform and is protected by an AES key. A request is received for a data encryption key to decrypt a unit of data backed up to backup storage of the information handling system, the unit of data having been encrypted by the data encryption key, and the data encryption key having been encrypted by the master key and stored at the backup storage as an encrypted data encryption key. One or more locations are checked for the data encryption key. The one or more locations include the system memory, credential vault, and backup storage.

Data at rest encryption (DARE) using credential vault

Described is a system for maintaining dual-party authentication requirements for data retention compliance in systems with remote access components. When administering a data retention policy, an operating system component may require a dual-party authentication mechanism to prevent data deletion, while a different authentication mechanism may control access to the remote access controller. Access to the remote access controller by a single privileged user, however, may enable overriding or compromising the retention lock compliance implemented by the operating system. Accordingly, the system may tie the dual-party authentication requirement to the remote access controller authentication mechanism.

Maintaining dual-party authentication requirements for data retention compliance

In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a method for managing nodes in a cluster. The method includes obtaining metadata from controllers on a node, processing the metadata to obtain solution groups and a processing sequence of the solution groups, notifying a solution manager to initiate performance of pre-update tasks associated with the node, and performing, after the notifying, an update of the nodes in the cluster based on the processing sequence of the solution groups.

Metadata driven workflow semantics for management operations

A system for processor configuration comprising a processor that includes a plurality of algorithmic controls stored in memory and configured to cause the processor to perform predetermined functions. A remote access controller coupled to the processor and configured to communicate over a communications medium and to send and receive controls and data to a remote device. Wherein the remote access controller is further configured to detect one or more server groups over the communications medium and to generate a prompt on a user interface device of the remote access controller to allow a user to select a control for the processor to be configured to join one of the server groups when the processor transitions from a power off state to a power on state.

Cluster formation offload using remote access controller group manager

A cluster management system sends a first message over a communications network to detect a server node which runs a base operating system image configured to communicate with the cluster management system to enable discovery and network configuration of the server node. In response to receiving the first message, the base operating system image sends a second message to the cluster management system, wherein the second message includes node identifying information associated with the server node. The cluster management system and the base operating system image communicate to configure network settings of the server node based on server cluster specifications and the node identifying information. Subsequent to completion of the network configuration, the cluster management system automatically provisions the server node for inclusion in a server cluster by re-imaging the server node with a server operating system to enable operation of the server node in the server cluster.

Automatic discovery and configuration of server nodes

A quick conditioning cycle system to avoid performance degradation at the end of calibrating cycle. The quick conditioning cycle system discharges a battery to a level where battery remaining capacity is still high enough to backup memory at a guaranteed period of time. During the quick learning cycle, the battery pack is discharged from a full charge. If measured capacity exceeds a predetermined threshold (Cpc), calibration stops. Otherwise, the quick conditioning cycle system reports a defected battery when measured capacity is less than Cpc and continues discharging to a full conditioning cycle, if desired.

Quick conditioning memory backup battery

A system and method of recovering cached data can be used when a particular physical storage device becomes unsuitable for storing data. In one aspect, the method can include providing the information handling system including a logical volume and a cache. The cache includes data that is to be stored within a particular physical storage device. The method can also include persisting the data within a different physical storage device. In one embodiment, the different physical storage device can be used to temporarily store the data when a logical volume is inaccessible. After the particular physical storage device becomes suitable to persist the data, the logical volume can be restored. The method can further include persisting the data within the particular or a replacement physical storage device. In another aspect, a system can be configured to carry out the methods described herein.

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Georgetown, TX, United States of America

Marcelo Vinante